Pharrell Williams Wants Virginia Low-Income Families For His New Private School
Virginia native Pharrell Williams is doing his part to make sure low-income families are “happy” with their education goals. The musician/entrepreneur is launching a private school for those who can’t afford to send their children to a regular private school.
Williams is doing this through his non-profit initiative, Yellow, a 501(C)(3) non-profit established by the eclectic music producer to even the odds for all kids through education.
A post from Yellow’s Facebook page explains the purpose of the private school named Yellowhab.
“Change starts at home and scales to the world. From the imagination of Virginia-native Pharrell Williams, in consultation with education futurists and @NASA scientists, we are excited to launch YELLOWHAB—an immersive educational environment that sparks imagination in a story-filled space where children transcend the everyday on a journey for deeper learning. YELLOWHAB is an independent micro-school providing customized learning pathways that serve individual students’ unique needs and aptitudes and prepares them to thrive in life with a new and innovative model launching Fall 2021.
“YELLOW admits students of any race, color, national, and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national, or ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship, and loan programs and athletic and other school-administered programs.”
YELLOWHAB puts children at the center of everything we do, with all touch points orbiting their unique strengths. Our educational programs are culturally responsive and develop a child’s identity and self-efficacy. Learn more via link in our bio 💛💫 pic.twitter.com/MhsUhZzRcl
In a statement to The Virginian-Pilot, Williams said, “If the system is fixed and unfair, then it needs to be broken. We don’t want lockstep learning where so many kids fall behind; we want bespoke learning designed for each child, where the things that make a child different are the same things that will make a child rise up and take flight.”
J.P. Morgan, UNCF Launch Scholarship Program for HBCU Students
The United Negro College Fund (UNCF)has partnered with JPMorgan Chase to provide the J.P. Morgan Chase Wealth Management HBCU Scholarship for students interested in the financial planning field.
Seventy-five scholarships will be awarded to students who will be college sophomores in the Fall 2021 semester attending specific HBCUs full-time, including Howard University, Tennessee State, and Winston-Salem State University.
The press release also said that successful applicants would receive a one-time $2,000 merit-based scholarship for the 2021-2022 school year. Additionally, a portion of selected students gets a chance to participate in two JPMorgan Chase & Co internship programs which offer an additional scholarship upon completion.
JPMorgan Chase has committed to a $30 billion investment over the course of the next five years to focus on providing economic opportunity in the Black and Latinx communities.
“Systemic racism is a tragic part of America’s history,” Jamie Dimon, the banking giant’s chairman and CEO, said in a press release. “We can do more and do better to break down systems that have propagated racism and widespread economic inequality, especially for Black and Latinx people. It’s long past time that society addresses racial inequities in a more tangible, meaningful way.”
Pursuing occupations where African Americans may be underrepresented could be a major key to increasing financial security. Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce found that although African Americans are attending college at higher rates, degreed African Americans are still in college majors and occupations, such as STEM, health, and business. The report identified these areas as some of the highest-paying jobs with growth.
The deadline to apply for the J.P. Morgan Chase Wealth Management HBCU Scholarship is June 24.
Jemele Hill Slams Sen. Joe Manchin For Opposing Voting Rights Bill
There is never a time that we know of that Jemele Hill, now a contributing writer for The Atlantic and host of Spotify’s podcast, “Jemele Hill is Unbothered,” has held back for the sake of being politically correct.
So, it should come as no surprise that she called Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin, a “power-hungry White dude” after he announced that he would be opposing a voting rights bill pushed by his own party.
After reports of Manchin’s decision hit the airwaves, Hill went to Twitter to voice her disappointment, labeling him “a clown.”
This is so on brand for this country. Record number of black voters show up to save this democracy, only for white supremacy to be upheld by a cowardly, power-hungry white dude. @Sen_JoeManchin is a clown. https://t.co/fCMuyoLer3
Manchin defended his position Sunday saying that he is not willing to change Senate rules to help Democrats push through much of President Joe Biden’s agenda.
“I believe that partisan voting legislation will destroy the already weakening binds of our democracy, and for that reason, I will vote against the For the People Act. Furthermore, I will not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster,” Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginia, wrote in an op-ed published in theCharleston Gazette-Mail.
Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-NY) compared Manchin to Mitch McConnell and added Manchin is trying to thwart the Democratic agenda.
“Joe Manchin has become the new Mitch McConnell. Mitch McConnell during Obama’s presidency said he would do everything in his power to stop [Obama],” Bowman told CNN’s John Berman. “He’s also repeated that now during the Biden presidency by saying he would do everything in his power to stop President Biden, and now Joe Manchin is doing everything in his power to stop democracy and to stop our work for the people, the work that the people sent us here to do.
Hill did receive many responses from Twitter users regarding her opinion of the Democratic politician.
The current laws keep him relevant. That is what he is voting for. That is all he cares about.
If the federal law is not passed, and all the suppression laws pass as written, there is no more democracy. There is only vote R, or your vote will not be counted…
His decision makes no sense. You vote your conscience not your political calculation. If it is a close vote it is a close vote, and the Republicans want to obstruct everything. Question is, why is he helping them?
This is sad and the reason why folks are so disillusioned with the political parties and system. Joe Manchin needs to leave the party if he’s not here to save democracy.
Senator Manchin is more interested in saving his Senate seat by appeasing MAGA than doing the right thing. History teaches us that appeasement leads to calamity.
No one person should have the power to affect the whole country & go against the wishes of the majority of The People! That’s BS! Did he forget he represents the ppl? We don’t care what he personally wants, it’s about what his constituents want, we need to remind him & others.
Fifth-Grader Elijah Robertson Couldn’t Find the Books He Wanted to Read at the Library, He Wrote His Own
The Dallas Morning News reported that when 10-year-old Elijah Robertson could not find books that he wanted to read, he took the initiative and wrote and self-published three adventure fiction novels for his school’s library through a platform called Wattpad.
The 10-year-old student who attends Clara Oliver Elementary School in Dallas took on the project in April.
Elijah Robertson was inspired during National School Library Month to write his own novels to share with his school #library! You can find him on @wattpad under the name thewiseman777. We love it when #libraries inspire people! ❤️https://t.co/fXQSK6ot6r
— Parkland Regional Library System (@PRLsystem) June 5, 2021
The Dallas Morning News also reported that Elijah’s books are available on the platform under thewiseman777. Elijah discovered Wattpad through his younger sister Josephine, who gave him information and an encouraging boost.
“I wrote three books in one weekend. It’s online, so my friends can read them virtually,” Elijah told NBC DFW. “I looked at this fiction book once and saw that it wasn’t many pages and it wasn’t interesting. So I wrote my own.”
Image- Twitter -@LibrarianLiz01
In the article, the lover of chapter books, horror, sci-fi and fiction also remarked that he was tired of reading the same books. Elijah responded by invested time in penning and publishing books that he felt were missing from bookshelves.
“Robertson’s plan is to share the books with his classmates in hopes of showing them reading and writing are both fun and essential,” NBC DFW also reported.
Wattpad’s website describes it as a social storytelling platform where writers can establish a global fan base for their original stories.
BLACK ENTERPRISE Launches Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series June 10 With “One Year After George Floyd”
BLACK ENTERPRISE, the No. 1 Black digital media company with more than 8 million unique visitors per month, will launch the BLACK ENTERPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series with “One Year After George Floyd: Has Corporate America Made Good On Its Economic Equity Pledges?” on Thursday, June 10, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. EST.
Panelists for the inaugural Town Hall session in the series include CNN Political Commentator Bakari Sellers, Manulife Vice President of Talent Management Tara John, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, Black Executive CMO Alliance Founder Jerri DeVard, and Infor Chairman and Black Economic Alliance Co-Chairman Charles Phillips. Remarks will also be delivered by Manulife President & CEO Roy Gori, Executive Leadership Council President & CEO Michael Hyter, and BLACK ENTERPRISE CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr.
“Corporate pledges of commitment to diversity and inclusion are not new to Black people in corporate America,” says Graves. “However, if we are to achieve economic equity, we must hold corporate America accountable for making sure that the billions of dollars pledged during the past year in the name of ending systemic racism results in systemic change—including actual wealth creation—for Black people both inside and outside of their companies.”
“One Year After George Floyd” is the first of seven virtual roundtable sessions featuring top corporate executives, entrepreneurs, financial experts, and thought leaders. The roundtable discussions will examine a range of challenges confronting Black communities to yield strategic plans to galvanize Black Americans to act. The sessions seek to advance the state of the Black community, help position Black professionals to gain more C-suite and board positions, increase capital and procurement opportunities for Black-owned businesses, and ensure corporate America’s accountability to its diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
For complimentary registration and a complete schedule of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall Series, go to https://townhall.blackenterprise.com.
Manulife is the Host Sponsor of the BLACK ENTERPRISE Economic Equity & Racial Justice Town Hall: “One Year After George Floyd,” and is presented by Series Sponsor, The Executive Leadership Council.
V.P. Kamala Harris Invited All 24 Female Senators To Dinner Party At Naval Observatory Amid Infrastructure Negotiations
Vice President Kamala Harris has invited all 24 female senators to the Naval Observatory for dinner next Tuesday in a show of bipartisanship.
The vice president‘s guest list consists of 16 Democrats and eight Republicans. The dinner marks a resurgence of dinner parties among female politicians in Washington, D.C., which have become less frequent in recent years as the 2016 and 2020 elections have led to deep divisions along party lines.
The dinner would come as talks between President Biden and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.) on the infrastructure package broke down. However, a bipartisan group of senators is working on their own infrastructure package. The dinner will provide an opportunity for female senators to discuss the matter in a casual setting.
The dinner, which was started by former Sens. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas), is set for June 15. The dinners began to fade after Mikulski retired in 2017, according to Yahoo News.
The Republican senators invited to the dinner include Cynthia M. Lummis (R-WY), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Capito.
The Democratic senators invited to the dinner include Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Margaret Wood Hassan (D-NH), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Debbie Stabenow (D-MI), Patty Murray (D-WA) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Harris has also been dealing with backlash from both sides of the political spectrum regarding the southern border. Republicans have been attacking Harris for more than 100 days after President Joe Biden visited the border. At the same time, Progressive Democrats, including New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the ACLU, have expressed disappointment in Harris telling Central American residents not to come to the border.
The Parents of Secoriea Turner File Lawsuit Against Atlanta For Her Death
The city of Atlanta is being sued by the family of an 8-year-old girl who was killed when shots were fired into the vehicle they were in.
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, attorneys for the family of Secoriea Turner announced earlier this week that they filed a lawsuit against the city of Atlanta for its alleged responsibility in the child’s death. Turner died during demonstrations last summer.
Turner was shot and killed on July 4, 2020, during the protests that followed the police killing of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot in a Wendy’s parking lot by an Atlanta police officer. The little girl was a passenger in an SUV with her mother in an area where armed protesters had blocked the street when one or more fired shots into the car.
Attorneys had previously announced that they intended to file a lawsuit. Earlier this week, they stated that they had filed the lawsuit against the city of Atlanta, Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, Atlanta police chief Rodney Bryant, Atlanta city councilmember Joyce Sheperd, and Wendy’s International.
The mayor’s office released a statement about the incident that occurred last year:
“The murder of Secoriea Turner, as a result of senseless gun violence, is a tragedy that no family should have to endure. Due to the anticipated litigation, the City will offer no further comment at this time.”
According to CBS 46, the lawsuit states that “Mayor Bottoms, Councilmember Sheperd, Interim Chief Bryant, along with city officials allowed armed and violent individuals to encamp on and take control of a major city street by erecting barriers in the middle of University Avenue and deciding who would be allowed to pass.”
The lawsuit also says the Atlanta city leaders “ignored and allowed lawlessness, violence, and vigilantism to disrupt the orderly and peaceful flow of traffic near the Wendy’s which caused the shooting and killing of Secoriea Turner.”
“None of what we’re doing will ever bring our baby back. Her life is priceless,” said her mother, Charmaine Turner. “We’re forced to live through this day by day. We deserve justice. Someone needs to be held accountable,” CNNreported.
COVID-19 Sprouts Increased Need For Impact Investing. 10 Tips For Black Investors Before Making Such Transactions
Black Americans—arguably more so than other groups—have been beaten down during the last year. Facing everything from financial and health devastation from COVID-19 to systemic racial inequality that still lingers today, Blacks most certainly have had their fill.
Yet, those challenges perhaps bring new options for Black Americans to consider when it comes to impact investing. Some experts concur COVID has produced a greater need for investments in social and environmental causes. Simultaneously, investors would do well to be cautious as the fickle economic climate caused by the crisis could make such investments risky financially.
Finder.com has created a conscientious guide helping individuals generate a social and environmental impact while delving into potential financial returns from investing in social justice. A financial comparison site, finder.com, claims to help consumers make the best decisions when it comes to handling their money. It examines financial products like credit cards and various loans, to name a few.
Black Enterprise caught up with Sheri Bechtel, Finder’s share trading and investments editor, to get her take on why Black Americans might want to consider making such investments.
She says building generational wealth can be a motivating factor in why Black American individuals and businesses would start investing. Investing now also presents an opportunity to pass down learned experiences. She added a study by FINRA—the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority—noted that Black Americans tended to score lower when it came to financial literacy.
“So not only is it an opportunity for a gain of financial value, but you are also investing in the meta stock of transferable knowledge,” Bechtel says.
She also reflected on what type of returns investing in social justice could bring versus investing in more traditional asset classes like stocks or real estate.
Beyond the financial returns of supporting minority-owned businesses, there is the sense of putting your money where your mouth is and helping BIPOC-owned companies get off the ground and thrive. According to a chart from M1 Finance, Black-led companies saw a return of almost 68% based on a $100 initial deposit, Bechtel pointed.
So what are specific social justice investments out there by name that support Black communities people might want to consider?
Bechtel talked about a couple. She says one is the Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF (“NACP”), which tracks companies that empower minorities. This could be through hiring practices and benefits, as well as products and services. The ETF has returned 7.92% over the past three months.
Another she suggested is Urban One (“UONE”), the nation’s largest Black-owned broadcasting company. She says the stock has gained nearly 50% in the past three months.
For potential investors. Finder.com offered 10 ways to invest in social justice:
1. Invest in businesses owned by marginalized communities.
Use your money to directly support companies and initiatives that support social and racial justice. By investing in BIPOC-, LGBTQI- and women-owned businesses, you can help build community wealth.
Research individual stocks that share your social values and have a strong potential for returns.
2. Work with an investment adviser who understands your values.
Collaborating with an investment adviser that holds similar personal and moral values can make it easier for you to find socially responsible investments. So when your company puts social equity above all else, you don’t have to choose between greater returns and community impact.
3. Invest in crowdfunding campaigns for BIPOC-, LGBTQIA- and women-owned startups.
If you prefer to get in on the ground floor before companies are publicly traded, opt to invest in BIPOC-, LGBTQI- and women-owned companies seeking funding. Explore different campaigns, dive into company missions and support founders whose values and goals resonate with you.
4.Invest in ETFs that support racial and social justice.
Instead of investing in individual stocks, another option is to invest in carefully curated groups of securities called exchange-traded funds—or ETFs—that focus on social justice investing.
Shannon Terrell, an investments expert at Finder, explains: “Think of them like investment baskets — a single ETF may contain any number of stocks, bonds or additional assets, which means purchasing one may help diversify your portfolio.”
For investors interested in supporting racial justice, the Impact Shares NAACP Minority Empowerment ETF (NACP) may do the trick. It’s the first and only ETF that advocates for racial equality by including companies that meet social criteria defined by the NAACP and tracks the Morningstar Minority Empowerment Index.
“This is a direct opportunity for investors to support racial justice organizations, as this nonprofit fund donates all net advisory profits to the NAACP,” says Terrell.5. Invest in large companies leading the way in support of social justice.
Larger public companies are making strides to support social justice. These intentional steps to fight racial and gender inequality can start with a pledge to donate funds to racial equity organizations, support community programs and fund BIPOC-, LGTBQ- and women-owned small businesses.
6. Join a peer-to-peer lending platform that works with underserved businesses.
Consider peer-to-peer (P2P) lending companies that let you lend money directly to other people.
Anna Serio, a certified commercial loan officer and Finder’s lending expert, tells us: “Many platforms allow you to see the business’s grade rating, which is based on its creditworthiness — not its impact on the community. But peer-to-peer lending platforms put you in control and let you choose where your money goes.”
But keep in mind the risk involved with this type of investing: The business or person may not be able to repay the loan. Both platforms try to minimize risk by giving investors as much information about the business or person you’re funding before agreeing to the loan. Another tip is to diversify your portfolio by dedicating no more than 10% of your investment budget to P2P platforms.
7. Invest in real estate initiatives that build up the local community.
Tremaine Willis, an investment advisor at Mind Over Money, says he aims to “elevate the quality of life in an area while maintaining affordable housing options for the existing population.” Platforms such as Buy the Block provide people with opportunities to own a part of their community by spreading financial responsibility across multiple investors.
8. Join a bank or CDFI that reinvests profits into underserved communities.
Consider a Black-owned bank — like OneUnited Bank, which reinvests profits in the local community “through low to moderate home loans, SBA loans, personal lines of credit and financial literacy programs,” according to Kevin Cohee, CEO of OneUnited. Or look into women-owned banks like the Banccentral National Association and Santa Anna National Bank, which invest 76% of every dollar you deposit back into the community — 69% above the industry average.
9. Take a closer look at where you spend your money.
Investing in racial justice can be as simple as skipping the big-box stores to shop at local, BIPOC- and LGTBQ+-owned businesses instead. Spend your dollars responsibly by asking questions about the business’ racial equity policies. Check out a company’s website and social media to explore its values and how it aligns with your morals and ethics. And research its Just Capital ranking, which evaluates how each company cultivates a diverse and inclusive environment without discrimination.
10. Invest in understanding your own biases.
Do more to make a change by investing in yourself. Make a conscious effort to identify and understand your own biases and make changes to support the social justice movement in all areas of your life. One way to uncover, understand, and dismantle racism is by reading, learning, and listening to more powerful voices. You don’t need to choose between investing for profitable returns and promoting social justice. Learn more about investing and tweak your overall strategy to support socially responsible companies and fight for social equity.
Two of R. Kelly’s Attorneys Have Requested to Be Taken Off Case Two Months Before Federal Trial
Things aren’t looking too bright for disgraced singer R. Kelly. The charges he faces in federal court can keep him in prison for many years. Now, it’s been reported that two of his attorneys on the case want to remove themselves right before it heads to court in August.
According to the New York Daily News, two of Kelly’s lawyers for his upcoming trial, Steven Greenberg and Michael Leonard, have filed a letter to the judge of the case, Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ann Donnelly, to request to be taken off his legal team. They gave no specific reason for their request.
But Greenberg, in a telephone call with the publication, explained that it was due to friction with two new lawyers, Thomas Farinella and Nicole Becker, who don’t have any federal trial experience.
“Unfortunately, it appears that Mr. Kelly, over time, has not made the best decisions, and I fear he’s doing that now. But it’s not my problem– I guess. I wish him the best. I hope he wins this case,” Greenberg told the newspaper.
“You sort of want to take the high road, but they’re just really f—ing him over, these two. We don’t want to be with people who don’t have any experience and don’t want to do the work.”
According to The Chicago Sun-Times, Farinella and Becker had released statements saying that Kelly had already fired Greenberg and Leonard before sending their request to the judge.
Kelly has been charged in Brooklyn with racketeering. His indictment alleges he led an “enterprise” made up of his managers, bodyguards, drivers, and other employees who helped him recruit women and girls for sex.
“While we realize that this request comes close to trial — and although we are ready to proceed to trial as scheduled in August — our reasons for withdrawal are significant, and it is impossible, in our belief, for us to be able to continue to properly represent Mr. Kelly under the current circumstances,” Greenberg and Leonard wrote in the one-page filing.
The judge has set a hearing for Wednesday to discuss Leonard and Greenberg’s request to leave the case.
La La, A Black Burger King Employee, Had Customer Say Her Uniform Was ‘Distracting’ Her Husband
A Black Burger King employee took to TikTok to address a female customer who allegedly told her that her uniform was “too distracting” for her husband.
Lala or @rockefeller.o demonstrated her black Burger King attire on social media, The New York Post reported.
“My back hurts from carrying the weight of not caring because I did nothing wrong except wear my uniform and STILL sexually objectified and harassed,” she said.
There are few details concerning the situation aside from La La’s version of the incident.
As the essential worker put it, “Disclosing my work location is a huge breach in security and safety not only for myself, but also for my coworkers & managers.”
“I absolutely do NOT want to (possibly) put them in harms way or have them being harassed just because of a viral video,” she added.
According to the restaurant’s employee handbook, it states, “Keep in mind that anything that could be considered distracting or not in the best interest of Burger King will not be permitted.”
But does the policy apply to well-endowed sisters?
